When the Tirconaill Tribune front page goes to print on a Wednesday editor John McAteer usually heads over to Ramelton for his regular afternoon walk with Glasach, the 13 months old Golden Retriever. When he comes back to the Milford office, the routine is to make tea for three. Issue 1,445 of the paper departed from the normal script… thats if any issue is normal in the true sense of publication! The kettle was already boiling, there was more than one tea pot in the kitchen and Francis appeared to tell him to go on upstairs, - ‘There’s a few people up there to see you.’ John was not bothered about his 80th birthday - obviously he knew nothing of a surprise party that had been in the planning to mark the special milestone in his life. When he walked into the hallway on Wednesday evening, there was Highland Radio’s Caroline Orr and Greg Hughes with wee Hudson in his arms. It was then that the penny dropped. “When I went upstairs I was so delighted to see all those faces - The Tribune’s Trusted Circle of Friends, our most valued and reliable contacts to whom we regularly turn to as we seek clarity on issues that need to be put into the public domain. A lot of effort was put into organising the party and the office was completely transformed in the space of the hour that I was away.” Local businesses have played a huge part in the success of the paper, some of them like Hugo and John Whoriskey and Noel McGinley have had loyal advertisers since the early days and their support is deeply appreciated. Among the guests were Fr John Joe Duffy, Cllrs Michael McCafferty, Ciaran Brogan, Pauric McGarvey, Liam Blaney, general election candidates Pat the Cope Gallagher of Fianna Fail and John McNulty of Fine Gael; Doreen Sheridan-Kennedy, Eimer Friel from Fine Gael. Also there was Moses Alcorn, the paper’s Western correspondent: former Cllrs. Brendan Byrne, Ian McGarvey and Noel McGinley. And the media group included, Michelle Nic Phadaín, Brian McDaid, Declan Doherty: Caroline Orr, Greg Hughes and Hudson, and Donegal Daily’s Stephen Maguire. Also there were close friends Sonny and Michael Scott from Rathmullan
